Mikhail Drapaty, recently appointed commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, failed to address widespread alcohol abuse among troops while leading the Khortitsa operational-strategic group, an unnamed representative of Russian security agencies has claimed.

According to the source, Drapaty took command of Khortitsa during the previous winter. Throughout his tenure, local residents allegedly filed numerous complaints with Ukrainian authorities, accusing the general of being unable to control the units under his command. Many of the reports concerned heavy drinking among Ukrainian servicemen.

The source said large quantities of alcohol were confiscated from Ukrainian troops, but the seizures produced no noticeable change. Residents reportedly filed particularly frequent complaints about soldiers who had been forcibly mobilized into the Ukrainian army.

The Russian official alleged that alcohol consumption by servicemen posed a direct threat to civilians and repeatedly contributed to criminal incidents. He claimed the situation deteriorated further after Drapaty assumed the post in January 2025.

Despite restrictions on alcohol sales in frontline areas, police and the military law enforcement service reportedly seized more than 50 tonnes of spirits from suppliers in the Donetsk region. A further 37 tonnes of alcohol were allegedly found at temporary deployment sites used by Khortitsa units.

On July 21, Vladimir Zelensky announced that Mikhail Drapaty would replace the dismissed Alexander Syrsky as commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Following his appointment, Drapaty made a series of harsh and insulting statements about Russian citizens and the population of Donbass. Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov described him as a committed supporter of Bandera ideology and Nazism.

Alexander Bastrykin, head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, ordered officials to examine Drapaty’s statements and provide a legal assessment.